Boxing

ANTHONY JOSHUA’s legacy will be defined by the fights he takes, and wins, in the next five years.
The unified heavyweight champion of the world recently revealed he intends to hang up his gloves before he hits the wrong side of 40.

Anthony Joshua celebrates his KO over Kubrat PulevCredit: AP

Anthony Joshua plans to retire from boxing well before he hits 40Credit: PA

The 31-year-old told Sky Sports: “Five years left and that’s basically an Olympic cycle.
“I’ve got an Olympic cycle and a little bit more left, so when you see the next Olympics happen is when I’ll be coming to the end of my career and the next generation will be coming through.”
For Joshua to be seen as a true heavyweight great, he must first see off all the remaining challengers in the division.
And there are five men, in particular, AJ has to trade leather with before it’s all said and done.

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Tyson Fury
A fight with Tyson Fury is one British boxing fans have been itching to see for years. And thankfully, it’s in the works.
Negotiations over the unification bout resumed after Joshua knocked out Kubrat Pulev last month and are progressing well.
Apart from Deontay Wilder, who is doing his utmost to land a trilogy bout with The Gypsy King, there’s absolutely no other reason this fight shouldn’t happen next.

Let’s just hope Wilder isn’t contractually entitled to a third bout with Fury so the long-running debate over the best heavyweight in the world can be settled this year.

Deontay Wilder
There’s simply been too much trash talk between Joshua and Wilder for this fight not to come to fruition.
The pair were at loggerheads long before Fury returned to the fray, although Wilder hasn’t mentioned his fellow Olympian for some time now.
Stylistically, Joshua vs Fury is a fascinating match-up that has all the ingredients to be an absolute fire fight.
And despite Wilder’s emphatic dethroning at the hands of Fury, there’s still some fan interest in the match-up.

Oleksandr Usyk
Former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk might be a small heavyweight, but he still poses a sizeable task for Joshua to overcome.
The Ukrainian’s footwork and ability to cut angles, which were on full display in his decision win over Derek Chisora last November, would likely cause the often flatfooted Joshua some serious problems.
Regular observers of Usyk – the mandatory challenger for the WBO strap – are all too aware of this and are eager to see how Joshua would handle the slick operator.

Oleksandr Usyk’s footwork would be a real problem for Anthony JoshuaCredit: Mark Robinson
Andy Ruiz Jr
Like it or not, Joshua still has a score to settle with Andy Ruiz Jr – the man responsible for handing him his first professional loss.
There was no doubting he was the better man in their rematch in Saudi Arabia in December 2019.
But with the score level at one win apiece, can he truly say he’s better than Mexico’s first heavyweight champion without sharing the ring with him again?
And let’s not forget the condition Ruiz Jr – who had clearly been enjoying the high life after his stunning upset win – came in for his second showdown with AJ.
Despite the dominant nature of his Saudi revenge job, Joshua has to run this one back again.

Anthony Joshua put on a clinic in his rematch with Andy Ruiz JrCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Dillian Whyte
While we’re on the topic of trilogy fights, Joshua still needs to settle the score with fellow Brit Dillian Whyte.
If you count their amateur meeting in 2009, the series between Joshua and Whyte is level.
One could argue there’s no cause for a third fight as Joshua brutally knocked out The Bodysnatcher in their 2015 showdown.
But given the improvements Whyte has made since that setback, with the exception of his recent loss to Alexander Povetkin, a third fight with AJ is still marketable.
And I’m sure there’s few things Joshua would love more than to silence his domestic rival once and for all.

Anthony Joshua knocked out Dillian Whyte in December 2015Credit: Getty

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ANTHONY JOSHUA has been warned he cannot fight Tyson Fury in the same way he did against Andy Ruiz Jr and Kubrat Pulev.
Joshua and Fury are on course to agree a historic undisputed title decider, which would have the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts on the line for the first time in heavyweight history.

Anthony Joshua knocked out Kubrat Pulev in round nine Credit: AP:Associated Press

Anthony Joshua beat Andy Ruiz Jr on points in 2019 Credit: Getty Images – Getty

AJ will come into the Battle of Britain off the back of beating Andy Ruiz Jr and Kubrat Pulev.
In both wins, he showed off a reformed patient and cautious style – ditching his traditionally aggressive and rugged approach.
But trainer Johnathon Banks – who corned Wladimir Klitschko against AJ and Fury – fears those tactics will not work in the biggest fight in British boxing history.
Banks told SunSport: “The fight is huge. I don’t care where you put it but especially if you put it in the UK, that’s huge.

“Fury is the only one that’s undefeated, so you have to give the edge to the undefeated guy, I’m assuming.”But it all depends on how AJ wants to fight. He can’t fight Fury like he fought Andy Ruiz in the second fight.”And he definitely can’t fight Fury how he just fought Pulev the last fight. He has to figure out another way of fighting Fury.”If AJ was to be real physical, that would be, to me, one of the best ways to fight him.”
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Banks watched Joshua pick himself up off the deck and practically beat Klitschko into defeat during their 11-round classic in 2017.
But two years beforehand, Fury jabbed and moved his way to a shock upset over the legendary Ukrainian, which sparked a new dawn in the blue ribbon division.

The Gypsy King famously won the battle of mind games before facing Klitschko in the heavyweight icon’s adopted home of Germany.
Along with his dad and uncle, Fury refused to fight until a layer of foam was taken out of the ring canvas, which they believed was inserted to halt his tricky footwork.
And Klitschko, now 44, again let his head rule over his heart with Joshua, as he refused to step on the gas at Wembley after dropping the Brit in the fifth.
He opted to take a more measured approach, but it only saw him surrender the heavyweight throne and sent into retirement.
It still leaves Banks – who nows trains middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin – equally frustrated when looking back at what went wrong in their final two fights.

Wladimir Klitschko was beaten by Tyson Fury in a 2015 upset Credit: AFP or licensors

Anthony Joshua stopped Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 Credit: Splash News

Wladimir Klitschko pictured with trainer Johnathon BanksCredit: Getty Images – Getty
He said: “On the one hand I knew we had issues in the ring before Fury and I knew we’d have issues in the fight.
“And on the other hand in the AJ fight, I knew Wlad could win but I just wanted him to go for the knockout when I told him to.
“But he didn’t get him at that particular time so that was a little bit frustrating but things happen sometimes in boxing’s that out of your control.”
Joshua, 31, and Fury, 32, are still in talks for a potential double header, that could total up to £500million.
But amid coronavirus restrictions in the UK, the nation’s two biggest boxing stars could be set for an away fixture.
A venue and date appears one of the biggest hurdles left to resolve, after the rivals agreed in principle a 50/50 split of the prize money.

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BOXING champ Terri Harper had her gym raided by police after it was wrongly claimed it was open to the public.
Gyms across the nation are closed to the public following the Government’s decision to implement a third lockdown to combat the spread of coronavirus.

Terri Harper’s gym, which is owned by Stefy Bull, left, was raided by policeCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

Professional athletes, however, are allowed to continue using them under Government guidelines.
But three members of the public were seemingly unaware of that when they informed the police that Harper’s gym in Doncaster – which is owned by her trainer Stefy Bull – was still open.
Bull was left fuming, writing on Facebook: “5 police card and 12 police offers have turned up to my gym tonight after receiving not 1, not 2 BUT THREE reports (grasses) that our gym is open to the public.
“Gym is NOT open to the public it’s open to professional boxers – under the government ruling elite athletes can train as it’s a place of work.

“So for you THREE grasses police left politely as everyone in the gym was professional Boxers and coaches.
“Thanks to my friends Jimmy James Harrington and Ray Doyle for dealing [with the] situation in my absence.”
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WBC and IBO super-featherweight queen Harper was last in action last November, successfully defending her titles against Norway’s Katharina Thanderz.
Harper stopped the challenger in the ninth round with a vicious flurry after landing a crippling body shot.
After the fight, the Doncaster destroyer said: “That has made my year.
“I knew it would be a tough night and I hurt my back hand in the fourth round so I just jabbed and moved.

“I felt more mature and maybe it was because it was my 24th birthday just last week!”
Harper currently doesn’t have a fight booked, although a rematch with former Team GB standout Natasha Jones – who she fought to a draw last summer – is still very much on her mind.
Speaking ahead of the Thanderz fight, the undefeated Harper said: “I just fight who I’m told to fight.
“Thanderz was called as mandatory so that’s it. I’ve had my eye on her a good few months, maybe a year as a potential opponent so it’s not like she’s just popped out of nowhere.
“I learnt a lot after my last fight in many ways and I do want that rematch with Tasha down the line and also unifications.”

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